Power-operated tongs



S. E. BARLOW.

POWER OPERATED TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14. 1919.

Patented July 13, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1..

S. E. BARLOW.

POWER OPERATED TONGS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 14, 1919.

1,346, 1 60. Patented July 13, 1920-. 2 SHEETSSH ET 2.

mamtoz 5.15. Bar/.0 W.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL E. BARLOW,'OF DENVER, COLORADO.

POWER-OPERATED TON GS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUELE. BARLOW, a citizen of the United States,residing at the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Power-Operated Tongs;and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and .to handle articles of thischaracter in numbers at a single load and in such a manner that they areheld in parallel relation, and to this end I employ a number of pairs ofjaws, these pairs being suitably spaced and hingedly connected with anaxle, the spaced jaws on the same side of the structure being connectedwith each other and suitably braced in order to give the requiredstrength and durability.

In all forms of my invention I employ cooperating cylinders and pistons,or other suitable motors, which are connected with fluid, as air underpressure, for operating the jaws of the tongs. In one form of theinvention I employ a cylinder and piston for each pair of tongs, thepiston of one cylinder having its stem or rod pivotally connected withone of the aws, while the other jaw is pivotally connected with theadjacent head of the cylinder. Then, as fluid under pressure, as air, isintroduced into the cylinder in the rear of the piston, the piston willbe moved in the cyllnder and the two jaws will be simultaneouslyactuated for opening purposes. The cylinders may be arranged within thejaws, 'or they may be located above the jaws and connected with thehandles or reins of the jaws; or cylinders in both positions may besimultaneously employed if it should be desirable to do so.

aving briefly outlined my improvement,

I will proceed to describe the same in detail,

reference being made to the accompanying Specification of LettersPatent. -Patented July 13, 1920, Application filed March 14. 1919.

Serial No. 282,620.

drawing in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof. In this drawing:

Figure l is an elevation of one form of my improved tongs.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, or a view looking in the direction ofarrows 2, F ig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an end view, showing a modified form of construction.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the views.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, let the numeral 5 designate each ofthe individual jaws of two pairs of tongs, these pairs being suitablyspaced and journaled on an axle, 6. Between the individual members 5 ofeach pair of jaws is located a cylinder 7, one head of which ispivotally connected as shown at 8 with a bracket 9 mounted on theadjacent jaw. l Vithin this cylinder is located a piston 10, having arod, 12, which projects through the head 13 of the cylinder, its outerextremity being pivotally connected as shown at 141, with a bracket 15,secured to the adjacent jaw. The piston rod within the cylinder issurrounded by a spiral spring, 14, which is under normal tension toclose the piston or move it to the position corresponding with theclosed position of the jaws.

In order to support the extremity of the cylinder-remote from the hinge8 when the jaws are opened, I employ a spiral spring, 16, which isconnected at one extremity with the cylinder, as shown at 17, and at itsopposite extremity with a ring, 18, surrounding the axle and arrangedbetween the eyes, 19,1 of the two jaws, 5, at the same end of the ax e.

Assuming that the jaws are closed, air under pressure may be introducedthrough a pipe, 20, into the cylinder between the head 21 and thepiston, with the result that the cylinder and piston are moved inopposite directions and the two jaws 5 simultaneously opened or causedto travel in opposite directions. the movement being from the axis ofthe axle 6. For the purposeof closing the jaws, fluid, as air underpressure, may be introduced into the opposite end of the cylinderthrough a pipe 22, though the spring 14 has a tendency to close the jawsand will serve for this purpose unless there is considerable resistance.

In Figs. 1 and 2 the lower portions of the pair of jaws 5, and this issubstantially the same as the cylinders 7 in Figs. 1 and 2. However, inthe construction shown in Fig. 3, each jaw 5 is continued to formhandles or reins, 25, the handle 25 on the left, being continuous withthe jaw 5 on the right. In other words, the jaws and their correspondinghandles or reins are arranged shearsfashion and cross each other at theaxle 6. The handles 25 are continued upwardly and equipped withbrackets, 26 and 27. To the bracket 27, one head of a cylinder 28 ispivotally connected, as shown at 29, while the piston 30, within thecylinder, is provided with a stem, 31, which is pivotally connected, asshown at- 32, with a bracket 33, connected with the adjacent rein orhandle 25. T he upper extremity of each handle 25 is provided with ahook, 32, which makes it practicable to lift the tongs by means ofchains, 34, respectively connected with these hooks and connected attheir outer extremities by a ring, 35 with which a hook (not shown) ofthe llfting apparatus may be connected.

In this form of construction a spring, 16, forms a support for thecylinder, 7, the same as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, while anotherspring, 36, is connected with one extremity of the cylinder, 28, andaffords the necessary support for the latter. The two springs 16 and 36may be connected with the same ring, 18, the latter being clearlydisclosed in Fig. 1.

The pistons in the cylinders 7 and 28 are operated by fluid pressure andwill be connected with the pipes 20 and 22, the same as illustrated inFigs. 1 and 2.

For lifting the tongs a loop, 37, may be connected with the centralportion of the axle 6, as' shown in Fig. 2, while in the form ofconstruction shown in Fig. 3, the lift may be either from the axle orfrom the extremities of the handles or reins, 25, as heretoforeexplained.

It should also be explained that this construction, instead ofconsisting of tong arms for lifting long articles as railroad rails, maybe constructed to lift fine or. granular material, as dirt, gravel,sand, etc., and hence used for excavating purposes if desired without inany way departm from the spirit of the invention. It is evident that byconnecting two pairs of spaced tong arms by metal members which willclose the space the tong arms alone are employed.

, consists of a cylinder and piston or other form.

I claim:

1. In power-operated tongs, the combina- 0 tion with a pair of tongjaws, of a cylinder and piston respectively connected wlth and carriedby said jaws for operating purposes.

2. In power-operated tongs, the combination with an axle of a pair oftong jaws, g5 journaled on the axle, a cylinder arranged. between thejaws and having one extremity pivotally connected with one jaw, and apiston within the cylinder provided with a stem whose outer extremity ispivotally con 0 nected with the other jaw.

3. In-power-operated tongs, the combination with an axle of a pair oftong jaws journaled on the axle and arranged in cooperativei relation, acylinder arranged between the two jaws, one head of the cylinder beingpivotally connected with one" jaw, a piston in the cylinder, a stemconnected with the piston and extending through the opposite head of thecylinder, its outer extremity being pivotally connected with the other'jaw, and means for yieldingl supporting one extremity of the cylinderfrom the said axle. 4:. In power-operated tongs, the combination with anaxle of a pair of tong jaws journaled on the axle and arranged in 00-operative relation, a cylinder arranged between the two jaws, one headof the cylinder being pivotally connected with one jaw, a piston in thecylinder, a stem connected with the piston. and extending through theopposite head of the cylinder, its outer extremity being pivotallyconnected with the other jaw, and means for yieldingly supporting oneextremity of the cylinder from the said axle, said means comprising aspiral spring.

5. In power-operated tongs, the combination with an axle of a pair ofjaws journaled v on the axle, a cylinder arranged betweenthe two jawsand having one headpivotally connected with one jaw, a piston in thecylinder, a stem connected with the piston and extending through theopposite head, its outer extremity being pivotally connected with theother jaw, and means for introducing fluid pressure into the cylinder onopposite sides of the piston for operating pur? poses. v

6. In power tongs, the combination with jaw, each pair of jaws havinglugs arranged between the free extremities of the jaws and the cylinderto protect the latter from interference with the load.

7. Power tongs, composed of a plurality of spaced pairs of jaws, an axleupon Whichthe jaws are journaled, and a power cylinder mounted on eachpair of jaws.

8. Power tongs, composed of an axle, a ,pair of jaws pivotally mountedon the axle and having reins extending above the axle, a cylinder havingone extremity pivotally connected with one of the reins, a piston in thecylinder, and a stem connected with the piston, the outer extremity ofthe stem being pivotally connected with the other rein.

9. Power tongs, composed of an axle, a pair of jaws pivotally mounted onthe axle and having reins extending above the axle, a cylinder havingone extremity pivotally connected with one of the reins, a piston in thecylinder, a stem connected with the piston, the outer extremity of thestem being pivotally connected with the other rein, a second cylinderarranged between the jaws of the tongs, one head of the cylinder beingoperatively connected with one jaw, a piston,

in the cylinder, and a piston stem whose outer extremity is operativelyconnected with the other jaw.

10. Power tongs, composed of an axle, a pair of jaws pivotally mountedon the axle and having reins extending above the axle, a cylinder havingone extremity pivotally connected with one of the reins, a piston in thecylinder, a stem connected with the piston, the outer extremity of thestem being pivotally connected with'the other rein, a second cylinderarranged between the jaws of the tongs, one head of the cylinder beingoperatively connected with one jaw, a piston in the cylinder, and apiston stem whose outer extremity is operatively connected with theother jaw, each of the cylinders being yieldingly connected with theaxle to prevent undue wear of the parts.

11. Power tongs, consisting of a plurality of pairs of jaws suitablyspaced, an axle on which the jaws are journaled, each pair of jawshaving reins, a power cylinder and piston connected in operativerelation with the reins of each pair of jaws.

12. Power tongs, consisting of a plurality of pairs of jaws suitablyspaced, an axle on which the jaws are journaled, each pair of jawshaving reins, a power cylinder and piston connected in operativerelation with the reins of each pair of jaws, a second cylinder andpiston connected in operative relation with each pair of jaws andarranged between the latter, and means for introducing fluid pressure onopposite sides of the piston of each cylinder, to cause the twocylinders and pistons to work in cooperative relation.

13. In power-operated lifting means, the combination with a pair of jawsof a cylinder and a piston both the piston and the cylinder beingmounted on and carried by said jaws for operating purposes.

14. In power-operated lifting means, the I combination with a pairofjaws, of a cylinder and piston mounted on said jaws for operatingpurposes, and lugs arranged on the jaws between the free extremitiesthereof and the cylinder to protect the latter from interference by theload.

15. Power tongs comprising a plurality of spaced pairs of jaws, an axleupon which the jaws are j ournaled, and a power cylinder and pistonconnected with and carried by each pair of jaws.

In testimony whereof I afilx my signature.

SAMUEL E. BARLUW.

